2 Chronicles 10

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Rehoboam then went to Shechem, al Israel having come to Shechem to proclaim him king.	1 Now Rehoboam set out for Shechem. For in that place all of Israel had convened, so that they might appoint him as king.
2 As soon as Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news -- he was in Egypt, where he had taken refugefrom King Solomon -- he returned from Egypt.	2 But when Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (indeed he had fled to that place from Solomon) had heard it, he promptly returned.
3 They now sent for him, so Jeroboam and al Israel came and spoke as fol ows to Rehoboam,	3 And they summoned him, and he arrived with all of Israel. And they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 'Your father laid a cruel yoke on us; if you wil lighten your father's cruel slavery, that heavy yoke whichhe imposed on us, we are wil ing to serve you.'	4 “Your father pressed upon us a very difficult yoke. You should govern us more lightly than your father, who imposed on us a heavy servitude, and so lift up some of the burden, so that we may serve you.”
5 He said to them, 'Come back to me in three days' time.' And the people went away.	5 But he said, “Return to me after three days.” And when the people had gone away,
6 King Rehoboam then consulted the elders, who had been in attendance on his father Solomon whilehe was alive, and said, 'How do you advise me to answer this people?'	6 he took counsel with the elders, who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still living, saying, “What counsel would you give to me, so that I may respond to the people?”
7 They replied, 'If you are fair to these people, pleasant to them and give them a fair reply, they wilremain your servants for ever.'	7 And they said to him, “If you please this people, and if you soothe them with words of clemency, they will be your servants for all days.”
8 But he rejected the advice given him by the elders and consulted the young men in attendance onhim, who had grown up with him.	8 But he set aside the counsel of the elders, and he began to have discussion with the youth, who had been raised with him and who were among his companions.
9 He said, 'How do you advise us to answer these people who have been saying, "Lighten the yokewhich your father imposed on us"?'	9 And he said to them: “How does it seem to you? Or how should I respond to this people, who have said to me, ‘Lift up the yoke that your father imposed upon us?’ ”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, 'This is the way to answer the people who havebeen saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy, you must lighten it for us!" This is the right thing to say to them,"My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!	10 But they responded like youths, having been raised with him in luxury, and they said: “So shall you speak to the people, who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you should lighten it,’ and so shall you respond to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 Although my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I shal make it heavier stil ! My father controlled youwith the whip, but I shal apply a spiked lash!" '	11 My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, and I will place more weight upon it. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.’ ”
12 On the third day, Jeroboam and al the people came to Rehoboam in obedience to the king'sinstructions, 'Come back to me in three days' time.'	12 Then Jeroboam, and the entire people, went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as he had instructed them.
13 And the king gave them a harsh answer. King Rehoboam, rejecting the advice of the elders,	13 And the king responded harshly, abandoning the counsel of the elders.
14 spoke to them as the young men had recommended, 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I shaladd to it. My father control ed you with the whip, but I shal apply a spiked lash.'	14 And he spoke according to the will of the youths: “My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, which I will make heavier. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.”
15 Thus the king refused to listen to the people, and this was brought about by God, so that Yahwehmight fulfil the promise which he had made through Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam son of Nebat.	15 And he did not acquiesce to the pleadings of the people. For it was the will of God that his word be fulfilled, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 When al Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king thus: Whatshare have we in David? -no heritage in the son of Jesse! Each of you, to your tents, Israel! Now look to yourown house, David! So Israel went home again.	16 Then the entire people, speaking more harshly to the king, spoke to him in this way: “There is no portion for us in David, and there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Return to your dwellings, O Israel. Then you, O David, shall pasture your own house.” And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 Rehoboam, however, reigned over those Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.	17 But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah.
18 When King Rehoboam sent Adoram who was in charge of forced labour, the Israelites stoned him todeath, while King Rehoboam managed to mount his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.	18 And king Rehoboam sent Aduram, who was in charge of the tributes. And the sons of Israel stoned him, and he died. And so king Rehoboam hurried to climb into the chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem.
19 And Israel has remained in rebel ion against the House of David from that day to this.	19 And Israel withdrew from the house of David, even to this day.